…*blank stare* o_O

Has this ever happened to you?

You have a moment when you flashback?

I was at work today, and I got a whiff of a perfume. It was a familiar smell, but something I hadn’t really noticed before or smelt in many months. I was transported back late October and was watching a nurse change my drip feed. I could smell the stick plaster of the cannula she had just replaced and now she was leaning in really close to untangle my drip. Her perfume. That’s what I smelt on a customer today whilst serving her. And like the person that I am I said the following:

“What is that perfume? It’s really familiar!” She told me and my response?! “Wow, that reminds me of the hospital so much!” She looked shocked. Told me she’d not wear it again, if it gave me bad memories (I should note here that she is a good close friend as well as a customer and always enquires properly as to my health and well being, she’s lovely). I told her to stop being silly and it wasn’t a bad smell nor was it a bad memory, I just hadn’t expected it what so ever.

Alot of things are catching me off guard this week (and its only Tuesday!) But today I got to thinking about all the things I associate with the my Crohn’s disease, specially the smells and tastes.

Smells: I can’t use my baby wipes anymore. They remind me too much of cleaning my bed trolley. Its the same with my perfumes and sprays – I can’t smell Impluse Tease and FCUK Bodyspray without thinking about my isolation bed. Dettol does it too. Air freshers. Lemon bleach. Linen Fresh candles. The smell of fudge and Jaffa Cakes.

Luckily I have no clothes that smell like the hospital anymore. I had to get rid of them once I got home. They weren’t important nor held any sentiment value. My ted and snuggle pillow had to be washed on my return home; get that hospital, medical, clinical smell off them! But even when I go back to the hospital for a clinic appointment or just a blood test (and its not actually inside of the hospital walls) I get creepy vibes, like a ghost. Maybe I spent too much time in there, got a little too comfortable there.. who knows.

Nowadays, I’m back to smelling like a bakery – of toast, butter, icing and cheese. Its mostly the butter and it never really faded away.

I guess most of these weird connections to my past will always come back and haunt me..

So readers, what things remind you of your stints in hospital? Is there anything (unrelated diet wise) that you can’t touch anymore? Is there anything you prefer now? How have your tastes changed?